Computer Keeps Restarting w/o even logging in

[PriJames]

Hello, I have a read around first to see if anyone else had a similar problem, but didn't find something similar. I will cont. looking though.

Our family computer keeps restarting in a sense that what comes up on the screen is it saying that Windows was unable to start successfully due to "a recent change in software" which I don't think is really the problem.

Then it has the options to log in: Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, Safe Mode with Command Prompt, Log in with the Last good configuration and Start Windows Normally. I have selected and tried every one of those options and nothing happens except it lists all this stuff and just starts over again bringing me back to that same screen.

The only two things I can tell you about the computer is that it previously had Windows Me installed and we later installed Window XP but we learned that the computer does not have enough memory to handle it. It still worked, just a lot slower. The other thing is that it's Hewlett Packard Pavilion. I cannot tell you any other specifications since it does not let me in.

It's just going in circles right now.

Any help would be appreciated.

[chrisbliss18]

You can use the Windows XP setup disk to perform a "repair install" of the operating system. You can find information on doing a repair install here.

If your RAM is the main bottleneck, you can upgrade so that the performance in XP is better.

If you don't want to upgrade the machine, I would recommend backing up all the information that you want to keep, and downgrading back to Windows ME.

If you tell us what model number your Pavilion is, that will help us know what your machine is capable of.

[Cirrus Tech. Lt]

Hello,

I had this same issue a few days again when my office computer got to a certant place the computer would Crash,

Reason: The Installation of windows was either missing files it need or it just needs to be reinstalled Period.

Thank you,
Michael

[willallen93]

I am having the same problem. The only thing that I could add would be spyware got a hold of our computers. Spyware can get on in many ways such as the folliwng: online games that arent certified, unreal virus protectors/scanners, pornography [and make sure to check up with your family members with this one because my friend had the same problem and found out it was from their older son watching inappropriate material], and many other ways. But with the way things have been going I doubt it is this reason. if you have had any way of fixing your computer please reply back.

[Merlin33069]

ok, im a local technician and i have come across this problem a few times, try grabbing an xp boot / install disk, or a recovery console

when windows boots up to the blue screen, it should have install or repair existing, choose repair (r) and a console much like command prompt should appear, when it does it may ask you for the administrator password, it is usually blank, if for some reason it isnt, you may need to download a linux core password restset disk, which i wont get into here, if it is blank it should now have the prompt eg

c:\

try typing

"fixboot"
without the quotes, it should verify, then when it is done, take out the disk and type reboot, i think that is the command, if not just press the key on the front of you computer to restart, all should be fine now, and btw (by the way) xp requires 64 MB of ram, seriously, thats it

[willallen93]

Hi, thanks for the advice. I put the disk in and it does what you say. It asks to press "R". Then I press "R" and it starts saying it is preepping for recovery. And then it says please wait (I am guessing so it can load) but it stays their and says please wait forever. I have left my computer on doing that for four straight hours. And I did it the next three days and it did the same thing. Their is no blue screen that pops up and it never says it will boot just that it is recovering. So I dont know what to do. Any other ideas or something that I am forgetting to do or doing wrong?

[Merlin33069]

is it possible the disk is corrupt? if it hasnt been used recently on another machine then it may be un usable, if there is a chance, try another cd, if it still doesnt work, im at a loss

good luck

[willallen93]

well I dont think I have another cd ... But a couple of years ago I upgraded a previouse computer to xp from 2000 it says that it is a regular xp instalation cd ... Is it possible for me to use that one?

[Merlin33069]

yes, as long as it is the same version (pro home etc) it should work

[willallen93]

ok thankyou and one last thing

do you think their is a way to save my data. more specifally the music i bought from itunes. that really is the only thing i am worrying about. everything else i have copies of on my work computer. so is their a way to save my music cause if i do do what your telling me, wont that just erase all my data?

[Merlin33069]

fixboot and fixmbr dont edit any files on the hard disk, just on the boot sector, you shouldnt lose anything at all

[willallen93]

thanks so much for all your help. i ended up doing what you asked and it worked out. but just to be on the safe side i had my computer fixed at a computer place becuase i didn't want to risk loosing hundred of dollars on music. so it all worked out in the end. but now my itunes is saying the music cant be found. 18 songs are totally off my computer. they cant be found but the rest are on my computer it just that they cant be played. i know this probably isn't your specialty but do you have any ideas in what to do. tomorrow i am bringing it back and telling them what happened. but any advice?